Neglect and lack of dignity in care homes found in new study

Almost one in seven families with relatives in care homes say their loved ones
are being neglected and treated without dignity, new research shows.

A study of consumer reviews posted on the Good Care Guide website shows that fifteen per cent of those relating to care homes rated the quality of the staff and the care they offered as substandard.

The website, which launched a year ago, operates like the travel advice website TripAdvisor, allowing people the chance to find, rate and review care providers.

An analysis of its first 2,000 reviews shows even greater concerns among families who use home care agencies, to treat their relatives in their own homes, with 23 per cent rating them as offering substandard care. Each review gives the care a rating from 0 to 5, with 0-3 considered negative and 4-5 positive.

Among the reviews to have been posted on the site is one from a woman whose 73-year-old father, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s, was able to walk out of his care home without being stopped. His body was found three weeks later around two miles from the home.

Another complained about how her father was left on the lavatory for two hours one night, while another reviewer said their father had been dressed by staff in someone else’s clothes.

One said their mother was often not able to drink as much as she needed, because the glass was left out of reach, while another claimed that their mother had her leg broken when staff mishandled her.

Ben Black, director of the guide, said: “There are some serious allegations which have surfaced on the website.”

He said that in some cases, critical comments have been taken down following complaints from the establishments concerned.

However, in the majority of these cases, he said the comments were later republished once the website had investigated them.

The site, which was launched last year, also offers reviews of childcare organisations and these did far better in terms of customer feedback, with almost three quarters of negative reviews received (71 per cent) directed towards elderly care.

Nine out of ten of those who wrote about childcare left positive reviews, although many providers were criticised for not representing value for money.

Since the website launched last year, more than 200,000 people have visited. There are 69,622 childcare and elderly care providers listed on the site, but not all have so far been reviewed.